Scope and Content

The collection is composed of: material relating to Middleton's honours, including his C.B., K.B.E., and K.C.I.E; an envelope containing 8 letters and telegrams on the award of his K.C.I.E., 1929; an envelope containing 6 letters concerning his appointment to Baroda; material relating to his appointment to the University of Wales, 1896; and envelope of circa 11 letters concerning attempt at Chair of Agriculture, Yorkshire College, Leeds, 1898; an envelope of circa 21 letters concerning attempt at Chair of Agriculture, Cambridge, 1899; circa 31 letters to Middleton on his election to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, 1936; letters on his retirement from the Development Commission and the Agricultural Research Council; miscellaneous news cuttings and papers; addresses, articles, journals, and other printed matter; material relating to the Royal Agricultural Society of England; correspondence and papers in connection with the Sir Thomas Middleton Memorial Trust and Lecture, 1948-1968; and, circa 35 letters of condolence on the death of his daughter Margaret. There is a photograph of Middleton by C. Vandyk, of Buckingham Palace Road, London, and a photograph album which is in effect a souvenir and record of the Royal Commission on Agriculture in India, 1926-1928, and containing circa 160 black and white photographs from the Simla Hills, Poona, Mumbai (Bombay), Bangelore, Assam, Lucknow, Dehra Dun, the Punjab, and the United Provinces (UP). Inserted in The album are several loose letters and cards.

Administrative / Biographical History

Thomas Hudson Middleton was born in Cromarty, Ross-shire, on 31 August 1863. He was educated at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh, and he studied at Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities. In 1889 he became Professor of Agriculture at Baroda College, India, until his appointment as Lecturer in in Agriculture at the University College of Wales in 1896. In 1898 and in 1899 he made unsuccessful attempts on the Chairs of Agriculture at Yorkshire College, Leeds, and at Cambridge. In 1899 however he became Professor of Agriculture at Durham College of Science, and then in 1902 he did become Professor of Agrculture at Cambridge where he stayed until 1907. In 1906 he had been appointed as Assistant Secretary to the Board of Agriculture, and by 1917 he was Deputy Director-General at the Food Production Department. In 1926, Middleton was appointed to the Royal Commission on Agriculture in India. He received a C.B. in 1913 and was made Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1918. In 1929 he was created Knight Commander of the Indian Empire. Sir Thomas Hudson Middleton died on 14 May 1943.

Conditions Governing Access

Generally open for consultation to bona fide researchers, but please contact repository for details in advance.

Accruals

Archivist's Note

Other Finding Aid

Important finding aids generally are: the alphabetical Index to Manuscripts held at Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections and Archives, consisting of typed slips in sheaf binders and to which additions were made until 1987; and the Index to Accessions Since 1987.